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Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso have announced their immediate withdrawal from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), citing the organization’s transformation into a “threat” to its member states.
The joint statement released on Sunday expressed the countries’ unilateral decision to leave ECOWAS, accusing it of being influenced by external powers and betraying its founding principles. The nations criticized ECOWAS for not supporting their battles against terrorism and insecurity while imposing sanctions they deemed illegal and inhumane.
Relations between these three nations and ECOWAS have been deteriorating since military coups occurred in Mali in 2020 and 2021, Burkina Faso in 2022, and Niger in 2023. In response to these takeovers, ECOWAS suspended all three countries from the bloc and imposed significant sanctions on Niger and Mali. An attempt by Niger to mend relations on Friday, inviting ECOWAS representatives to its capital, resulted in minimal attendance, further fueling frustrations within the nation’s leadership.
Niger’s army-appointed Prime Minister, Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine, expressed disappointment at the perceived dishonesty within ECOWAS. The military regimes of these nations have committed to addressing the rise of violent armed factions in their territories, forming the “Alliance of Sahel States” for this purpose. Concurrently, they have severed military ties with France, leading to the withdrawal of French troops from these regions after the coups.
The departure of French forces and economic sanctions have raised concerns about the potential spread of armed groups to more stable coastal countries in West Africa like Ghana, Togo, Benin, and Ivory Coast. The first half of 2023 witnessed over 1,800 attacks in West Africa, resulting in nearly 4,600 deaths and severe humanitarian consequences. An ECOWAS regional official described this as just “a snippet of the horrendous impact of insecurity,” highlighting the growing challenges in the region.
